Quantification of serpulid biogenic reef coverage of the sea bed (Polychaeta: Serpulidae) using a video transect technique

Colin G. Moore, Dan B. Harries, Alastair R. Lyndon, Graham R. Saunders, Terence R. Conway

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    14 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    1. The large size, patchiness and fragility of serpulid reefs present difficulties for the measurement of reef coverage for mapping and monitoring studies. Video transect measures of cover are assessed in terms of accuracy and sensitivity of the method for the identification of spatial or temporal changes.

    2. By comparison with direct in situ measurement of reef cover, it was found that still photography was capable of providing an accurate means for the measurement of the seabed coverage by individual reefs.

    3. By comparison of video and still photographic measurement of reef cover, it was found that video transects were capable of providing cover estimates of sufficient accuracy for conservation purposes, differing from still photographic estimates by 0.3% cover.

    4. Power analysis was employed on replicate video estimates of reef cover in order to determine the degree of replication required to identify different levels of spatial or temporal change in cover using video transects of different lengths. The modest level of replication required to identify changes in coverage as small as 25% of the initial value suggests that the use of video transects offers great potential in monitoring and mapping studies.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)137-146
    Number of pages10
    JournalAquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
    Volume13
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Mar 2003

    Keywords

    • Biogenic reefs
    • Mapping
    • Monitoring
    • Serpula/vermicularis
    • Video

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